" I like living on an island because you feel safer because you know everyone and you know that you have less chance of being 'mugged' or killed."
Accession No. 2043
We have a new acquisition this week, courtesy of the Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Literary Association.
Our exciting new bundle includes copies of Sanday Secondary School's magazine from the early 1980s, a copy of Edwin Muir's The Scots and their Country, An article about the wreck of The Crown as published by Chamber's Journal, Collin's Geography of Orkney and a collection of photographic views of Kirkwall & vicinity published by Thomas Kent.
Our favourite thing, however, is a collection of essays by some primary school children in Westray. They paint a wonderful picture of life on the Northern isle detailing the peace, beauty and quiet of their home.
Mainland Scotland, however, and in some cases mainland Orkney are painted as dark, dens of iniquity, full of murderers, kidnappers and 'pepple we do not know' (sic)
"If you where going out at night by your self you might get lost or can't mind on your way home in the dark."
We have asked our Westray born-and-bred colleague about this and he cannot remember this being a prevalent view when he was growing up so perhaps this particular assignment coincided with some alarming news stories.
The main agreed disadvantage of the island life was having to order your coats and shoes out of a club book.
There are many more essays in the book. If you think you may have written something like this at school in Westray in the early 1980s, please do get in touch. Telephone 01856 873166 or email archives@orkney.gov.uk or write to Orkney Library & Archive, 44 Junction Road, Kirkwall KW15 1AG
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